Where the Broken Hearts Live
by JustOl'Ivy
Summary: Her love is gone, and all she has is memories in photo frames. His brother is gone, and all he has is a reminder every time he looks in the mirror. Together, their pain is made a little bit more liveable with the help of their departed redhead.


Author's Note 21/03/2020  
Hi - Given everything that is going on in the world right now, I decided that I would come back and re-re-revise this little one shot that I posted a while back just to get me back into the swing of things. I hope you're all safe out there!  
Take care of yourself and your loved ones!  
JustOl'Ivy

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**Where the Broken Hearts Live**

Without so much as a hint of warning, the dark clouds that hung over Diagon Alley disappeared allowing the rain to pour down onto the cobbled streets below. The sudden downpour sending those around into a sprint for immediate cover, all except one witch, who seemed to welcome the intrusive drops as she disappeared from view under the cover of rain. She walked slowly along the path as the rain sank in. Her clothes clung desperately to her as she brushed her limp hair from her face. There was only one place on her mind and the second she came across the lonely, boarded-up shop - the breath she had been holding in was finally free to escape Fishing the key from her drenched pocket, she turned the lock that had begun to rust over before stepping in finally out of the rain. She kept her heavy eyes focused on the stairs at the back of the shop, ignoring the urge to brush the layer of dust that lay over the till or to straighten the boxes that were strewn around. She allowed her fingertips to trace the dusted shelves as she went, leaving a trail of water behind her.

"George..." His name left her lips in a whisper as she knocked the door once before allowing her head to rest against the chipped red paint, she could hear the rush of footsteps from inside the flat, and in a rush the door had been ripped open and she was in his arms before she could even muster a 'Hello...' "I'm sorry for imposing..."

"You can't impose in your own home." George whispered keeping as strong a grip on her as he could without hurting her, "Where have you been?"

"Scotland," She mumbled against his now damp chest. She hadn't been home in over six months and the occasional update from his brothers had been driving him insane, and she was more than aware. "I'm sorry if I've worried you," She felt him shake his head, "How have you been?"

"I don't think you really want to know the answer to that love," He told her, a soft laugh escaping as she moved to look up at him. "Come on," He smiled, trying to ignore the look of concern as she studied the dark circles under his eyes, "Let's get you some warm clothes eh?" He gently kept his arm over her shoulder, keeping her tucked in against him as he leant back to close the door. "Take your time okay..." He let his arm drop from her as he headed off down the hall, taking one last quick glance at her before she disappeared out of his sight.

She sighed looking around the room, there were a few boxes lying scattered about making the once homely flat just look empty. She pondered over to the roaring fireplace finally welcoming some heat to her damp body, a small smile gracing her as she looked at all of the different photos that he had left on the mantle.

"What are you looking at?" George's voice caused her to jump almost dropping the dainty frame in her hands, "It's just me..."

She smiled as she gestured to the photo frame causing him to come closer to her, "All of us at Fleur's wedding," She explained as they both looked down at the charmed-photo, watching as she pulled a silly face whilst George gave a playful gag rolling his eyes as his twin moved in to kiss her on the cheek lovingly, "I love this."

"You two could've given me the heads up," George shrugged laughing to himself as he watched a tear trickle down her cheek "Here-" He handed her the pile of clothes he had found as she quickly set the frame back down onto the mantle. "You can get changed in my room if you want, or the bathroom..." He trailed off as she smiled up at him.

"Thank you Georgie." She sighed patting his arm softly as she passed heading down the small hallway, only stopping for a brief second when he called on her.

"Eve... I'll put the kettle on love?" He had offered, only to sigh as he watched her nod and walk out of sight.

She stood frozen at the threshold to the bedroom, her hand hovering where the doorknob had been after giving the door a rougher push than she had anticipated. She hadn't stepped foot in the room in months and the thought of having to go in there by herself had knocked the wind from her lungs. She tucked the clothes under her arm as she stepped inside. The soft flow from the streetlight outside brought the room some light as she took everything in. It was just as they had left it. The same thick blanket that her mother had sent them lay over the spacious bed surrounded by the supply of pillows she had made him buy. She made quick work of changing out of her drenched clothes, leaving them in a messy pile by the door as she moved to pull on the over-sized pyjama pants that she knew straight away belonged to George. She reached out for the jumper that he had left her only to stall as she noticed the print on the back. **F WEASLEY. **She stood for a second just tracing her fingers over the letters before pulling over her head.

"Hello there stranger..." She smiled as she curled up on his side of the bed pulling a cushion to her chest, a part of her revelling in the fact that the cushion still smelled like him. She reached out to grab another frame, her smile growing as Fred's face smiled back at her. She had taken the photo the first morning she had stayed over in the new flat after ditching her Potions exam to visit them. "I'm home..." She told him, "Just need you to be here now."

… _You know I would if I could_

"Eve," George called for her as he made his way down the hall. He had been calling her for ten-minutes. He stopped outside the door, the colour draining from his cheeks as he watched her curled into a tight ball, her shoulders shaking violently as she cried. "Evelyn?" He sighed rushing to her, ignoring the pang in his chest as he crossed the threshold of his brother's room. He took her into his arms carefully, holding her in his lap. "Hey..." He whispered softly as she curled her fists into his shirt. "You're alright love,"

"No," She whimpered, "I'm not alright" She allowed him to take the photo that had fell into her lap as he rubbed her back, "I miss him Georgie..." She sobbed, "I need him to come home - I" Her words were swallowed up by another wave of grief, the redhead only nodded as he continued to rock them back and forth, tears forming in his eyes.

"I wish I could have taken his place," George finally admitted, the truth of his words stung as he found the courage to utter the thoughts he had been trying to drown for months. She jerked away from him so quick that he didn't have time to grab her shoulders before she was straddling his lap, the anger in her eyes burning a hole in him so strong that he flinched. "Evie..."

"Don't 'Evie' me George." She warned him, "Just because I want him to be here - Merlin George! How can you say that?" She whispered, the anger that had been building in her forced its way to the surface as she spoke, "Don't you dare think for a second that anyone wanted you to take his place." Her words were soon reduced to whisper as she moved to rest her head against his, their eyes locked on each other, "You can't leave me..."

"I'm not going anywhere," He promised. "I swear." He was thankful that she didn't notice him staring over her shoulder at the frame that took up residence on the wall at the foot of their bed covered by a thin sheet, wondering just how severe the look his brother was giving him was. "Hey..." He muttered adjusting his attention back to the witch, "Tea?"

She nodded clambering her way off of his lap and back to her feet as she cast a look back at her photos before allowing George to lead her out of the room and back to the kitchen where he had left their mugs and the teapot waiting. She slipped onto one of the tall stools at the kitchen island watching as George grabbed the milk from the fridge. She took a second to study the man in front of her, his hair had grown since she was last home, his shirt didn't fit him just as well as it used to and she found herself wondering if he had been eating right without her being there to remind him. He just looked tired. "When did you last sleep the entire night through?" She asked, "Without the whisky?"

George frowned as he set the milk down on the counter taking his seat across from her, "I could ask you the same question." He shot back taking in the equally dark circles that hung around her eyes, her chapped lips and the paleness of her normally freckled and healthy skin.

"Touché George." She muttered as she took a small sip from the mug, smiling as her body welcomed the soothing warmth of her tea. "Have you spoke to your mum recently?"

George shook his head, "Last time I went home, she uh - called me Fred," He shrugged taking a sip from his own mug, "She cried for hours and I haven't set foot there since."

"She misses you," She told him with a small smile. Molly had been the only Weasley, other than Ginny, to stop by the small cabin that she had been renting every other day to check in on her, bringing their almost in-law a batch of soup knowing otherwise she wouldn't have eaten. Molly would always make sure to fill her in on anything that was Weasley related, George playing a major part in those conversations. "I could go to the house with you if you wanted to see them?"

"I saw Ron and Percy last week," George told her as he fiddled aimlessly with the handle of his mug, "Ginny stops by whenever she can, I'm just not ready to watch mum break her heart over and over and _**over**_ again because I look like her **dead** son." He spat, the frustration and loneliness he had felt burning its way up his throat as he snapped his gaze up to look at her, "Is that why you left?" He accused, "Because I look like him? Can't stand to be around the man who looks like your dead fiancé?" He demanded standing up from the stool as she stared at him, "You've got some cheek to come here and offer to take me to see my family! Last time I checked, I was your family and you left."

She set her mug down on the counter as she rose to her feet, "I left you, not because you look like Fred, or that I didn't want you around but because I needed to get better." She admitted, "How could I look after you like you needed me to when I couldn't look after myself?" She asked him, "I wanted to be able to breathe without feeling like someone was going to rip my lungs out from my chest, I wanted to smile and laugh again George - I wanted to be able to make you smile again." She let out a breath, "And I thought if I went away that I could come back and do that for you - but I was wrong," She continued "I should never ever have left you. I missed you - I missed my home … You are the ony thing that I have even remotely left of Fred" She paused, "**You** and this stupid flat." She bit out shaking her head, "Screw you George..."

"Eve." He called out after her as she sped out of the kitchen, "Evelyn WAIT!" He cursed at the slam of the door, he knew that she wasn't coming back out anytime soon. "Merlin... I'm a twat," He muttered rubbing his hand over his face.

"My thoughts exactly mate..." The familiar voice spoke as George raised his eyes to look at the all-too-similar figure that sat across from him, arms folded across his chest with a brow raised. "_'Can't stand to be around the man who looks like your dead fiancé'"_ He repeated, "Kind of harsh don't you think?"

"Ugh... Sod off," George grumbled, "Do you not think this is hard enough without you throwing your galleon in Fred?" The man just shrugged, "You're... You're not really there..." George sighed uncertainty in his voice, "Why can I see you?"

"Your guess is just as good as mine mate," Fred chuckled, a sad smile on his face as he looked around - he jabbed his thumb towards the pile of dishes that lay beside the kitchen sink. "Could'a cleaned up a bit eh?" George flipped him off. "Y'know - I reckon - She loves you just as much as she loved me,"

"Yeah, Sure." George rolled his eyes, "Come of it you blithering idiot," He warned, "She was about to marry you Fred - not me."

Fred rolled his eyes at his brother, "And we both know that is because we flipped a coin on who got to ask her out," He commented, "I thought you would get smarter with me being gone, but Merlin's beard George you are a bloody idiot." He shook his head, "Evie will never ever get through this if every time she tries to do come back to someone they throw it in her face - Now, suck it up." George glared at his twin, "You promised me you would look after her... Not make her cry,"

Hours passed by as if they were ticking by as minutes, and before he knew it, George was fast asleep across the kitchen island, the cup of tea now ice cold a few inches away, his face covered by his hood as he tried to keep the warmth in. Evelyn had spent the time by burying herself under the blankets on Fred's side staring at the ceiling, wishing she could just suck it up and stop the tears. She had heard the conversation from the kitchen and was glad that she wasn't the only one who had been imagining Fred - Her head was beginning to hurt with the million and one questions that she had, that she wished she had the courage to ask the redhead - all revolving around a certain coin toss. Giving up on her self-pity, she forced herself up from the bed, determined to ask her questions - only to stop as her gaze fell on the frame - that she didn't remember putting there.

"Where did you come from?" She pondered aloud as she pulled the sheet down from the frame, a smile forming as she took in the redhead in front of her, a smile that matched hers on his face as he sat on the dark red sofa that once lay in the Gryffindor common room, "Some good memories on that couch," She smirked.

_"You could say that..."_

Her eyes shot back up to the portrait. She hadn't imagined him that time. She heard it. There he was - Eyes blinking chest moving with each breath, "How... Did I hit my head?"

_"George pulled some serious strings with McGonagall... I'm supposed to be on some memorial wall at Hogwarts,"_

"I - I hate you so much right now," She admitted as she watched him stand up from the couch, walking as if he was about to pop out of the frame, "This isn't real - I am - I must be hallucinating."

_"I'm just memories love, kept safe and sound in a rather lovely mahogany frame - but I'm here - I promise, I'm here"_

She just shook her head as she stared at his face, "I miss you..."

_"Not as much as I miss you..."_

"Do you understand why I went away?" She asked him, silently wishing that she could just yank him out from the painting. "I feel like George hates me Fred..."

_"You know that we both know that's not true... He could never hate you - He's angry, but not at you, never at you. He's angry that he couldn't make you stay - He knows why you left, I do too … and I know he understands - neither of us could ever be angry at you, no matter how much you tried." _

She laughed softly, "I cannot believe you two flipped a bloody coin," She told him as she ran her fingers through her matted hair, scolding herself for never realising anything sooner, "Stupid boys..." She shook her head.

_"Hey now - What were we supposed to do? It was never going to be that neither of us tried... It had to be one of us, no one else was allowed to have our Evie … You have always been the best thing that ever happened to us Weasley boys." _

She jumped at the sudden smash that echoed from the kitchen, she made quick work of grabbing her wand from the pile of clothes that she was still yet to move from the door as she glanced back at Fred who looked like he was laughing at her. "It's only George isn't it?" He nodded, "I love you Fred," Fred only nodded with the same ghost of a smile he'd left her with as his eyes followed her out of sight.

She rushed down the hall with her wand raised ever so slightly as she approached the kitchen, throwing the wand to the ground as she heard him whimper. She stepped over the smashed pieces of clay and the splatters of cold tea as she moved to cup his face, "George?" She whispered, "Georgie - Wake up love, you're okay."

"Fred..." The man whimpered still wrapped up in whatever nightmare was plaguing his tired head, "No... I - Evie..."

She frowned hearing the pain in his voice as he said her name, gently she pressed her lips against his head, "Georgie... You need to wake up now love," She told him moving to rest their foreheads together, "You're safe - I'm right here," She smile as she was greeted with his own tired eyes, "Hello..."

He brought his hands up to cover her as he kept his gaze trained on her, "Hi," He sighed, "I'm sorry for earlier... I am Evie, I didn't mean a word of it," He told her, "Please forgive me... Don't go"

She let out a small yawn before putting his head back against his as he held onto her hands tightly, scared to let go, both innocently unaware of the lovingly pained eyes that were watching them from frames, "I don't know if I can forgive you," She admitted watching as his expression fell, "What do you say we flip a coin?" She suggested with a small smirk causing his eyes to grow wide, "I'm never going to leave you again George," She promised.

_"Me either..."_


End file.
